Diageo North America and Pfizer have been fined for violating the state Code of Ethics when each failed to report expenditures associated with separate receptions hosted during the 2012 Democratic National Convention in North Carolina.

The Office of State Ethics announced the violations Monday. Both companies have agreed to pay a $5,000 penalty.

The events were held on Sept. 3, the first day of the convention. Diageo, whose U.S. operations are in Norwalk, held a "welcoming reception" attended by nine state officials in a Charlotte restaurant and Pfizer sponsored a party at a nearby winery.

"At each reception, multiple Connecticut state employees, public officials and/or members of a public official's staff or immediate family attended," the office stated in its announcement. "However, neither Diageo nor Pfizer reported the expenditures on their respective lobbyist financial reports."

The companies called the violations inadvertent and have since submitted the proper filings.

"Lobbyist reports must fully disclose all expenses as required by the Code of Ethics," said Carol Carson, executive director, Office of State Ethics. "It is worth noting that the public officials and employees that attended did not violate the code, because the total cost per person did not exceed the $50 limit."

Diageo said it received inaccurate information that the cost of the reception had been below the $10 per person reporting threshold. The company was also found guilty of failing to notify public officials when a lobbyist has provided meals valued at more than $10.

"We thought we were under the $10 threshold. When we learned otherwise after receiving an inquiry from the state, we remedied the issue by amending our report," said Alix Dunn, director of external communications for Diageo North America. "At Diageo, we take compliance very seriously and we cooperated fully with investigators on this matter."